Lamp and license plate support



April 24, 1951 M. w. BREED 2,550,325

LAMP AND LICENSE PLATE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 18, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NV EN TOR.

M276 3 ZZZBreeaf ATI'EIRN EYS LAMP AND LICENSE PLATE SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

jyi/Qs 2Q Brwa;

ATTD RN EYS "of a vehicle. r

The object of the invention is to'providefa Patented Apr. 24,1951

I "Miles William Breed, Elizabeth, Ill. 7 Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,143

2 Claims (01. 248-284) 1 I V This invention relates to a device for supporting a tail lamp and license plate on the rear end device for supporting a tail lamp and license plate on the rear end of a vehicle and which is constructed so that in the event that an object contacts or strikes the tail lamp, a portion of the supporting device will move whereby damage.

will beprevented to the tail lamp.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a tail lamp and license plate which is strong, compact and durable, thoroughly reliable for its intended purpose, havin very few parts that need repair, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install on the rear end of a vehicle.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pick-up and delivery truck equipped with the tail'lamp and license plate support. according to the present invention;

V Figure 2 is an enlarged sideelevational view cfthe support, with the lamp and license plate shown in broken lines;

Figure support;

Figure support;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5'of Figure-3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line of Figure 2. e

4 "is an end elevational view of the Referring in detail to the drawings, numera 20 designates a conventional pick-up and delivery type truck, and the deviceof the present invention is a support for mountinga tail lamp 2| and a license plate 22 on therear end of the vehicle 29, whereby damage will be prevented to the tail lamp 2| in the event that the vehicle T accidently backs into or contacts an object. 'The supporting device comprises a bracket 23 which is preferably fabricated of a single piece of heavy metal rod. The rod is shaped to define .a pair of spaced legs 24 and 25, and one end of I the legs is bent to define atransversely disposed brace 26 which has secured thereto, as by weld- 3 is an enlarged top plan-view of the.

an annular member 2'jl The otheradgacent ends of the legs 24 and 25 are bent at right angles to define aupair of standards 28 an -g9 respectively.v f Extending between the standards 3 l centrally therein.

28and29and'secured thereto, asby welding is a metal strip 39lprovided withan aperture A rodor. bolt 32extends betw 'n;the strip,30 and the annular member 2l is'suppprted thereby, there being a. washer 33 arranged on one end of the rod 32, and a nut 34 is threaded on the threaded end 35 of the bolt or rod 32 for maintaining the parts in assembled relation. A,

pair of coil springs 36 and 31 are circumposed on the rod 32, and a tubular sleeve 38 is interposed between the springs 36 and 31. A suitable flexible cover member I8 and I9 is positioned over the springs 36 and 31 for protecting the latter.

Secured to the support member 49, as by welding, is a pair of tubular members 4| and 42, and rotatably supported by the tubular members 4| 'and 42 is a shaft 43. A follower arm 44 has one end connected to the shaft 43, and the other end V 38 by a bolt and nut assembly 45.

plate 49 provided with a central aperture therein member 49 is a pair of short links 41, and suitable bolt and nut assembly 48 project through the elongated link 46, the short links 41 and through the support member 49, for maintaining the links in their proper position on the support memberx. The pair of short links 41 are for the support of the tail lamp 2|, and in use the tail lamp 2! may be either supported above or below the license plate 22. I

For securing the bracket 23 to the vehicle 29, a

extends between the legs 24 and 25, and is secured thereto as by welding. A metal ring 50 is spaced from the plate 49 and is also secured to the legs 24 and 25 as by welding. Suitable securing elements, such as rivets or bolts'5l are projected through the apertures in the ring 50 and plate 49 and into the vehicle body 29, whereby the supporting device will be secured or maintained immobile on the vehicle.

In use, after the bracket 23 has been secure to the vehicle 20, adjacent the rear end thereto, the license plate 22 is dependingly supported by the elongated link 46, Figure 2. Further, a tail lamp 2! may be supportedabove or below the license plate 22 as desired, by means of the pair of short links 41, which are adapted to receive the usual bolts 52 that project rearwardly from the tail lamp 2|. The short links 41 can be moved toward and away from each other in order to accommodate various sizes of tail lamps, and in the event that the vehicle accidently backs into an object, the object will not damage the tail lamp 2|, since the support member 40 is hingedly connected .to thebracket 23. Thus, the. support member -flscan move :01: swingeitherto' the rear or forwardly, and the support member 40 is urged to its normal position by means of the coil springs- 36 and 31.

While various changes may bemade in the- Ilicense 'plate comprising a- 'bracket adapted to be secured to a vehicle, said bracket including a pair of spaced legs" having one of'their ends bent at *right angles to define a transversely disposed brace; an annularmembersecured to said brace, "'theoth'er adiacent'endsof said legs being shaped to define a pair of standards, an apertured strip extending between said standards andsecured thereto, a rod extending between said annular license plate, a pair of short links arranged at right angles with respect to said elongated link and carried by said support member for attachment to a tail light, and means for securing said bracket to the vehicle.

'2. The apparatus as described in claim 1,

' 'wherein'said' last-named means comprises a plate extending between the legs of said bracket and secured thereto, there being apertures in said plate for the projection therethrough of securing elements.

MILES WILLIAM BREED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in. the fileof this-patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,050,395 Schleicher Jan. 14, 1913 1,384,576 Suhr July 12, 1921 1,561,034 Sperl' Nov. 10, 1925 

